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[BimmerRob08]

So I need to get new wheels to clear my 14.5" APracing front BBK. Currently running 12mm spacers and I've got a light wobble/inbalance that doesn't seem to clear with balancing. I'm gonna stick with 18" wheels. My two choices are;

APEX ARC-8 (Antrhacite or Hyper Black) 18x9.5 Front & 18x10.5 Rear.

Or go with the Forgestar CF5 5 spoke 18x8.5 Front & 18x9.5 rear.

Currently will run with my pretty new PS2's that are 245/40R18 & 265/40R18.

So my questions are what do you guys suggest for;
- DD & light track use?
-Price (both set of wheels is close in price comparison) vs. quality & strength?
-Fitment & balancing, etc.?
-What looks better on a Space-Gray M3?

Thanks all!

[Eddy@ApexWheels]

Originally Posted by BimmerRob08

So I need to get new wheels to clear my 14.5" APracing front BBK. Currently running 12mm spacers and I've got a light wobble/inbalance that doesn't seem to clear with balancing. I'm gonna stick with 18" wheels. My two choices are;

APEX ARC-8 (Antrhacite or Hyper Black) 18x9.5 Front & 18x10.5 Rear.

Or go with the Forgestar CF5 5 spoke 18x8.5 Front & 18x9.5 rear.

Currently will run with my pretty new PS2's that are 245/40R18 & 265/40R18.

So my questions are what do you guys suggest for;
- DD & light track use?
-Price (both set of wheels is close in price comparison) vs. quality & strength?
-Fitment & balancing, etc.?
-What looks better on a Space-Gray M3?

Thanks all!

The ARC-8 is significantly lighter (2-5lbs lighter) when comparing the same specs vs the CF5. The ARC-8 is available now, there is no production wait. The The widths and offsets for the ARC-8 are correct for a performance fitment on the E9X M3. You have narrow tires now as discussed in another thread, but when you buy tires again in the future you would want to run a 265/285 setup or something comparable in the future (the Michelin Super Sports are available in that size and would be a good replacement in the future to your current PS2's).

If you picked up an 8.5" front wheel now, you would be stuck with an unnecessarily narrow wheel on a car that can easily handle a 10" front wheel with zero modifications. If you know you do not have optimal tire sizes now, and you do want to go to the track at least a few times a year, then do no purchase a wheel size that works ok in the short run, but is a major long run compromise.

The ARC-8's exceed JWL load requirements and are VIA certified (3rd party testing organization in Japan). According to the testing data for the CF5 found on the manufacturers site, the 19" wheel does not meet JWL load rating requirements. There is also no testing data shown for the 18" size at all. I can confirm that none of the CF5 wheels have ever been VIA certified because I have access to the VIA online database that shows every wheels that's been tested. None of the other wheels designs have been VIA certified either except for a few odd offsets for the 18" F14.

[jeff@autocouture]

had the arc 8 onmy e92, great wheels

[persian54]

8.5 is too narrow IMO...might as well stay stock

[isugoo]

Originally Posted by persian54

8.5 is too narrow IMO...might as well stay stock

+1

[isugoo]

why not the 9.5/10.5 Apex? They're running a group buy as we speak.

[1Sleeper]

Great wheels, great seller.

[persian54]

Originally Posted by isugoo

why not the 9.5/10.5 Apex? They're running a group buy as we speak.

+1

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=582766

[ALUFELGEN]

Originally Posted by paintpro21

The ARC-8 is significantly lighter (2-5lbs lighter) when comparing the same specs vs the CF5. The ARC-8 is available now, there is no production wait. The The widths and offsets for the ARC-8 are correct for a performance fitment on the E9X M3. You have narrow tires now as discussed in another thread, but when you buy tires again in the future you would want to run a 265/285 setup or something comparable in the future (the Michelin Super Sports are available in that size and would be a good replacement in the future to your current PS2's).

If you picked up an 8.5" front wheel now, you would be stuck with an unnecessarily narrow wheel on a car that can easily handle a 10" front wheel with zero modifications. If you know you do not have optimal tire sizes now, and you do want to go to the track at least a few times a year, then do no purchase a wheel size that works ok in the short run, but is a major long run compromise.

The ARC-8's exceed JWL load requirements and are VIA certified (3rd party testing organization in Japan). According to the testing data for the CF5 found on the manufacturers site, the 19" wheel does not meet JWL load rating requirements. There is also no testing data shown for the 18" size at all. I can confirm that none of the CF5 wheels have ever been VIA certified because I have access to the VIA online database that shows every wheels that's been tested. None of the other wheels designs have been VIA certified either except for a few odd offsets for the 18" F14.

Yikes

[BimmerRob08]

Thanks all. I think the desition has been made for ARC-8 then.

Cheers!

[BimmerRob08]

One last question. My M3 is space gray metalic. which color wheels will look best?

Black
Anthracite
Hyper black?

I kinda like the anthracite and hyper black but pictures never show the real color as it'll look in person. What do you all think?

Thanks!

[ModBargains III]

Forgestar wheels ARE VIA and JWL certified. Please look at the information below. This also pertains to the CF5 wheel as well:

[IMG]http://www.**********s.com/images/Products/Forgestar%20Wheels/forgestarjwlvia.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.**********s.com/images/Products/Forgestar%20Wheels/new18.jpg[/IMG]

Forgestar has long been an advocate for wheel durability testing. We strongly believe that any issue regarding consumer safety is an important one. We want every customer contemplating the purchase of Forgestar wheels to know that it has been carefully engineered by the Forgestar team and thoroughly tested in our in house testing laboratory as well as an independent third-party testing laboratory.

On this website, we will provide actual test reports from independent third-party test laboratories such as Standards Testing Labs (STL).

The most common test standards we use are those published by SAE (J2530) and JWL VIA. We will provide PDF files of these actual test reports as well as an explanation of how the tests are performed and what the results mean to you as a consumer.

We test every width in each wheel design family with the offset configuration that presents the greatest testing challenge and subject it to the equivalent of a full product lifetime of stress in our own in house testing laboratory. Then we send one of each wheel design to a independent third-party laboratory for added tests. In this way, we insure that the recommended wheel fitment is safe at maximum rated load.

PDF files can be found here:
http://www.forgestar.com/v2/testdata.php

Test Procedure:
Using computer simulation it is possible to perfect the wheel design before the wheel goes into final production. However, the ultimate conclusions are generated during the test procedure. The test criteria checked by Forgestar Wheels simulates the toughest road conditions.

Overview of Forgestar test scenarios:

Dynamic cornering fatigue test:
The transverse forces which affect the wheel during driving through bends are simulated.

Dynamic radial fatigue test:
The stress to the wheel going straight or cornering is simulated.

Impact test:
The strength (center disc, rim flange, assembled part) against breaking and air-leak is simulated.


One more thing to note, if you're using a BBK with a rotor size of 380mm like most StopTech, and Brembo applications for E9X M3's, you will only be able to fit an 18" wheel in there if it's a Forgestar CF5. Apex cannot say the same about their ARC-8 Wheels. If you have any further questions, please contact me directly.

[Eddy@ApexWheels]

Originally Posted by **********s III

Forgestar wheels ARE VIA and JWL certified. Please look at the information below. This also pertains to the CF5 wheel as well:

[IMG]http://www.**********s.com/images/Products/Forgestar%20Wheels/forgestarjwlvia.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.**********s.com/images/Products/Forgestar%20Wheels/new18.jpg[/IMG]

Originally Posted by paintpro21

According to the testing data for the CF5 found on the manufacturers site, the 19" wheel does not meet JWL load rating requirements. There is also no testing data shown for the 18" size at all.

The testing data posted above is for the F14 only, in those offsets only (which does not include the wide range of offsets actually produced and sold). That testing has nothing to do with the CF5 in anyway what so ever.

I am intimately familiar with the VIA certification process, as I oversee the testing of our own wheels. For a wheel to be certified by the VIA, you have to ship 2 wheels with tires already mounted for each wheel mold to the VIA in Japan. If a wheel design is available with different levels of spoke concavity (meaning a different mold or tooling produced the product), then 2 wheels need to be tested for each of those as well. That means a single design is actually viewed by the VIA as a wheel entirely on it's own. That's what makes testing expensive. One design might take 2-3 mold per diameter if it comes in varying levels of concavity or lip depth. Two completely different wheel designs have to be independently tested. The testing of one has absolutely nothing to do with the other.

The screen capture posted of the VIA database clearly shows that the design tested is the F14 and not the CF5. It says it right on there, under the column where manufactures enter their wheel design name. We have the ARC-8 and AERO-7 listed under that field, with testing for each diameter, width, and offset. It's also clear that not a single other wheel design or diameter from that manufacturer shows up in that database. If the other designs were tested, they would be listed there, including testing for the 18's, 19's and 20's.

The testing data on the manufacturer's site available today via the link posted, clearly shows that none of the 19" wheels (of any design) were tested at the JWL load rating standard.

The stamping on the wheel has no merit on it's own. Numerous wheel manufacturers stamp the JWL/VIA logo into wheels that do not meet requirements to use of those logos. The picture posted is the backside of an F14 wheel that was posted online after increasing it's load rating from 1200lbs to 1520lbs, and not a CF5. The F14 for example, had the JWL/VIA logo stamped on it even when it had a 1200lbs load rating and was untested/uncertified by the VIA.

Originally Posted by **********s III

One more thing to note, if you're using a BBK with a rotor size of 380mm like most StopTech, and Brembo applications for E9X M3's, you will only be able to fit an 18" wheel in there if it's a Forgestar CF5. Apex cannot say the same about their ARC-8 Wheels.

The ARC-8 can clear a stoptech 380mm BBK. It cannot clear a Brembo 380mm BBK.

[elh0102]

Don’t know if it will help, but here is a pic of space gray with Apex Hyper Black wheels. They are all four 18X10

[BimmerRob08]

Well, I'm no wheel expert but looks like both wheels are a great product. My ARC-8 wheels came in yesterday. Pic's to come later. Anthracite color looks almost exactly the same gloss gray as the stock 18" wheels, which I like, and wanted.

So they should work just as well as the Forgestar's would have. I just hope Apex is right that the ARC-8's will clear the APracing 14.5" BBK, eitherwise I got a HUGE problem on my hands.

[elh0102]

Originally Posted by BimmerRob08

Well, I'm no wheel expert but looks like both wheels are a great product. My ARC-8 wheels came in yesterday. Pic's to come later. Anthracite color looks almost exactly the same gloss gray as the stock 18" wheels, which I like, and wanted.

So they should work just as well as the Forgestar's would have. I just hope Apex is right that the ARC-8's will clear the APracing 14.5" BBK, eitherwise I got a HUGE problem on my hands.

Shouldn't be a problem, my car has 15" StopTech fronts.

[Eddy@ApexWheels]

Originally Posted by BimmerRob08

Well, I'm no wheel expert but looks like both wheels are a great product. My ARC-8 wheels came in yesterday. Pic's to come later. Anthracite color looks almost exactly the same gloss gray as the stock 18" wheels, which I like, and wanted.

So they should work just as well as the Forgestar's would have. I just hope Apex is right that the ARC-8's will clear the APracing 14.5" BBK, eitherwise I got a HUGE problem on my hands.

You provided measurements in another thread, and I confirmed they would fit. If they don't clear your brakes, we'll take them back, at no cost to you.

[BimmerRob08]

Originally Posted by paintpro21

You provided measurements in another thread, and I confirmed they would fit. If they don't clear your brakes, we'll take them back, at no cost to you.

Ok, thanks for confirming. I'm sure they'll work great!

[JS11]

i think bmws look the best with mesh wheels, so i say go with the arc-8s. also have you ever thought of going with a square setup? for track use it will feel a lot better, and as others have said you should go with at least 9.5" width wheels.

[BimmerRob08]

I would have had to get new tires up front most likely with a square set up. But went with the staggered set up. Pictures coming soon.